Nurses' strike seems likely as parties fail to find common ground for settlement

Union nurses say they will continue to plan two 24-hour strikes as talks with DHBs fail to reach an agreement. Photo / Stephen Parker

Union nurses have confirmed they will continue to plan two 24-hour strikes as negotiations with district health boards failed to reach an agreement.

Mediation between the New Zealand Nurses' Organisation and DHBs concluded on Monday before 7pm after the parties failed to reach an agreement on a settlement NZNO was prepared to recommend.

Nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants covered by the NZNO's collective agreement issued a strike notice for 24 hours starting 7am, on July 5 and a second 24-hour strike from 7am on July 12.

A spokesperson for union said members were now waiting for confirmation of dates for facilitation.

"We will continue on with the preparations for strike action on the Thursday 5th and Thursday 12th July, including preparations for life-preserving services and national emergency management processes.

"Until this formal process is concluded we will not be making any comment or giving any interviews on the negotiation process."

On June 18 NZNO members voted to reject the DHBs' revised pay offer of 9 per cent for all member nurses by August 2019.

NZNO chief executive Memo Musa said last week that the strike notices would be issued but the union was also urgently seeking mediation to resolve the issue.

"We've had 10 years of underfunding. We've had three years of seeking settlement, which did not resolve issues of safe staffing and underfunding."

DHBs were vowing to avert strike action, saying they'll do everything they can to settle the employment agreement.

DHB spokeswoman Helen Mason said they would go into the urgent mediation nurses wanted.

"Nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants are a highly respected and valued part of the modern team-based approach to health services, and we are extremely concerned about the threat of industrial action.

"The current offer on the table is an excellent offer, and it's about much more than base pay rates. DHBs are committed to safer staffing, which includes a commitment to an additional 500 nurses to alleviate staffing concerns.

"DHBs have committed to working with NZNO on pay equity and nurses' concerns about pay equity."

Mason said the offer would invest an extra half-billion dollars in staff and improved working conditions.

She said DHBs had doubled the pay rates from their original offer, so there would be no more money on the table.

"Some of the things that will be important to nurses will be that DHBs meet their commitments on safe staffing and more nurses.

"If we do face strike action on the 5th and 12th of July, DHBs will be deferring all non-urgent services, to reduce demand on the system.

"If the strike goes ahead it will be a really significant national event, there hasn't been a nurses' strike in 30 years, and we take that really seriously."